Letters To the Editor
Please send your letters to the Editor to: edit...@heartbeat.net.au
Response Re Fire Station Park: Recieved 6/3/11
Dear Editor
We welcome feedback to the upgrade of Firestation Park, however, it's a pity
only negative views were presented. We spent hundreds of volunteer hours on the project and would like the right of reply to point out the many positive aspects of the park.
About the park's heritage. It was the site of the old fire station which burnt down.
All of the structures removed from the park, with the exception of some bits
of concrete slab, were not heritage items, they were built in a'heritage style'.
There are different schools of thought about 're-creating heritage'. Clearly we went for a contemporary approach and this proposal was put to the community via a consultation process. The plans were reported in Heartbeat, a model and plans were displayed in the newsagent inviting feedback. Feedback called for better lighting, safer stairs and paths, more light and openness, shelter, native vegetation and more seating. There was not an overwhelming call for the park to be 'heritage-style'. The plans were passed by Council with no objections from the community.
The park was more than 'shabby', it was dangerous with rotting bits of timber, a falling down wall on the post office side, uneven stairs and paths and inadequate lighting.
Budget dictates material choices to a large extent but factors such as safety, durability and maintenance also needed consideration. The project took over three years to get started, by which time the GFC had occurred and many material and labour prices had gone up. Our budget remained the same, despite attempts to secure more funds from Council. The site itself also presented challenges with the two vastly different levels and we had ongoing issues with the weather.
We determined to use as many local suppliers and trades as possible and incorporate eco-features where possible. The beautiful stonework was supplied by Brad Turk for a fraction of the actual cost. The LED lightening was installed by local energy efficient electrician Jurgen Israel. The entire park now uses less power than a standard light bulb! Paints and finishes were all plant-based and non-toxic.
Plants native to the area were nurtured for two years by Liz Gander from the Ragged Blossom Nursery and provided at a fraction of the going rate. The large Golden Rain tree (a listed weed) in the front planter box died, however an advanced native tree has been donated by Tracey Knowland of Bangalow Nursery and will be planted shortly. Three fire wheel trees have been planted in the rear garden and in time will provide shade, colour and reference to the 'fire' aspect of the park's heritage, as does the change of name to Fire Station Park.
The previous walking surface was uneven grey concrete which had developed slip and trip hazards. We initially had more decorative plans for the surface, but went with colouring the concrete in earth tones to soften the look and provide a non-slip, durable surface which was easy to maintain. With the assistance of the post office owner, stairs were included to provide better access to the side post boxes, and as it turns out, the post office. The stadium seating now connects the two sections of the park and has shored up the retaining wall, while providing seating and a space for events. Byron Steel constructed the shelters and steel was chosen for its durability and easy maintenance. We're also disappointed they don't provide better sun and rain protection, but we're happy that they give good line of sight through the park.
Some elements of the park were not completed due to budget constraints: a slatted wooden screen on top of the stone wall to hide the air conditioning units and provide a vertical green wall; continuous seating around the garden bed and fixed tables. The landscaping at the rear of the park was not completed and would have provided a barrier to the rear lane on the
grassed area, making it safer for children. We are still waiting on a drinking water fountain.
We believe we have provided the community with a park that meets many of its needs and there is scope for further improvements. 'Character' is of course more arbitrary. We've kept the money in the community by employing locals who in turn have kindly contributed to the project. While all projects have their detractors, it's been disappointing that such a one-sided view has been given by Heartbeat in this instance.
Jo Immig
on behalf of Firestation Park Committee (6/3/11)
"A Great Little Paper" Letter to the Editor
Dear Editor
After reading your editorial in the March edition of Heartbeat, it prompted me to write to you.
Now I am not a local, in fact I live in Perth, WA, but have been a visitor to Bangalow on a few occasions, the most recent being September 2010. I read your community newspaper on the internet and it has proved invaluable to me and my partner. You see, we are in the process of trying to sell our house here in Perth and move to the Bangalow area.
We have formed a picture of the local people and the area and feel that there is a very strong community spirit in Bangalow. Believe you me, you have a community to be proud of and I take my hat off to all the local volunteers who give their time to keep that spirit alive, especially those who produce a wonderful local paper. I have learnt so much about the various organisations/groups. The advertising has proved very helpful as I now know where to find the Doctor, Dentist, Solicitor, Physio, hairdresser etc etc.
I am learning about the flora and fauna of the northern rivers, all good for an outsider. I have also been made aware of the proposed developments within Bangalow and the proposed changes to the Princes Highway, invaluable when deciding on where to buy a home.
I hope, when we move, I can get back to doing some volunteering. Keep up the good work and I look forward to reading the May edition.
Regards
Mary Webb (26/3/11)
PS I hope it won’t be too long before the Urban Café is up and running again, as we had a wonderful lunch there last September.
Recieved 17/08/2010
Reading the item on Heritage House in the August Bangalow Heartbeat - it was not only steamy but complex.
For the record - A community group called Bangalow Pride (that evolved from efforts by Helen and Rory O'Moore in the 1980s to prepare Bangalow for the highway bypass) was the setting for a meeting in the early 1990s where one of the members, Betty Dengate, proposed the establishment of an historical society for Bangalow. Indeed, it was strange that this hadn't happened earlier considering the efforts of the Bangalow Centenary Committee in the 1980s. The photographs were part of an exhibition prepared by Vicki Reynolds in the late 1980s, with funding expedited by Helen O'Moore. The display space for the photo exhibition under St Kevins was abruptly closed, Vicki had left the area, and the bulky, heavy framed photos were saved to become the starter for the Bangalow Historical Society. A grant was obtained later on to digitally copy these and other photos and to develop interpretive thematic signage, all of which became the first exhibition at Heritage House. These clearer photos revealed historically important information - the name on the Bangalow Hotel, and the presence of a monument at the roundabout in earlier days.
This was in the early 1990s when many issues were stretching community and council resources (documented in BP minutes that should be at Heritage House). Amongst them was the location of the Bangalow Community Pre-School next to an active cattle tick dip site. Byron Shire Council had approved this location in the 1980s but unfortunately the health/environmental issues were strangely overlooked/not documented and parents using the facility were not informed until the early 1990s. In addition staff had not informed the insurance company or the Dept of Community Services. The issue became very heated and nasty - essentially BSC and several organisations and individuals were trying to cover their backs because of negligence. The preschool building was relocated in the face of significant opposition (the dip site had ceased operations and there were no health risks). Max Eastcott, then General Manager realised that the issue was murky and very contentious - and the deal was done to placate the community by giving it another building for community use (the unpaid rates building from B. Heads), ironically moved onto the very site vacated by the preschool. Clearly the site was not contaminated and was OK for community use, despite the earlier lies and hysteria to the contrary. A very expensive operation, cost never revealed, and sadly it significantly affected future allocations of funding for Bangalow community facilities, complicated by the strange saga of Section 94 Developer Contributions.
A grant was obtained to sand back and varnish the timber floors in the old building - the tradesman pointed to an area in the corner of one of the rooms where a bottle of perfume had been dropped years ago - the smell released after sanding! The restored floors are a beautiful feature of H.H.
Despite earlier efforts by some to make it a closed shop, H.H. is now an accessible community facility offering wonderful displays and service.Bangalow Pride revitalised Bangalow that had been neglected by BSC for many years. The Main Street Program, the eventual restoration of the Bangalow A. & I. Hall, the revived Bangalow Chamber of Commerce - the list goes on.
It is heartening to see the positive results today.However there is still another important task left over from that awful debacle - sealing the old dip site to provide a sporting facility for the public, if not a skate park, then perhaps a netball practice area or tricycle area for youngsters to safely ride. After all, it is part of a lovely area, and Alec Hermann's early contribution of land should not be overlooked.
Jane I'Ons (committee member of various Bangalow community organisations including the preschool, Bangalow Pride, Historical Society, Chamber of Commerce, Progress Association, Landcare, P. & C., School Council).